The invention is directed to a weaving machine which includes a guide device for a woven material web. The guide device is arranged downstream of a filling thread set-up edge. The weaving machine further includes a ribbon cutting device for cutting the woven material web into ribbons and for melting on the cut edges so as to be secure against rippling. The cutting device is arranged between the guide device and a breast beam. The weaving machine also includes a thermal fixing device arranged independently of the cutting device.
It has already been known for a long time (DE-OS 1 535 330, U.S. Pat. No. PS 3 486 957, Textil-Praxis [Textile Practice] 1956, September, p. 951) to produce ribbons, particularly label ribbons, on weaving machines producing relatively wide woven material rather than on conventional ribbon weaving machines, since the production costs can accordingly be reduced to the extent that the printed labels used for inexpensive textiles can be economically competitive.
In theory, the production of woven ribbons by means of cutting a corresponding wide woven material web parallel to the warp thread presents no difficulties. In practice, however, quality goods cannot be achieved economically in one work cycle because of the shrinkage of the ribbons brought about by the different warp thread tensions and because of the encrusted separating edges of the ribbon.
In attempting to overcome these disadvantages, an arrangement is described in the DE-PS 2 302 949 and U.S. Pat. No. PS 3 961 650 whose solution consists in that all the devices which are already known, i.e. a spreader, a cutting device and a thermal fixing device are integrated in a condensed manner in a massive, specially constructed compact carrier beam extending over the entire width of the woven material. A very compact construction is accordingly achieved, but it does not overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, since the individual devices are rigidly arranged and their positions cannot be adjusted relative to one another. The compact construction greatly impedes accessibility and operation and, in addition, is susceptible to dirt because of the round rod of a clamping spreader inserted in a narrow groove which is practically closed, since the woven material web is drawn through this groove and is clamped at the entrance and discharge slots and accordingly strips off snarls and winds up loose threads. Another substantial disadvantage is that the disadvantageous shrinkage behavior and the encrusted separating edges of the ribbon cannot be eliminated by a hot wire arranged on one side above or below the ribbons, respectively. The compact construction does not allow any other solution for reasons of space, which means that the aforementioned disadvantages can also not be eliminated with this solution and the ribbon quality demanded on the commercial level can still not be achieved.
A device is known, in addition, from the U.S. Pat. PS 4 124 420 which cuts a wide woven material into ribbons. The device is an independent unit which is connected downstream of a breast beam of a weaving machine and comprises a plurality of deflecting rollers and a dancing or compensating device for maintaining a constant ribbon tension and ribbon speed at the cutting device. This device has the disadvantage that the guidance is impeded because of the long path of the woven material web, so that an accurate separation of the woven material web into individual ribbons according to pattern is not ensured.